Sworn
by dqdagb1
Summary: Hermione is given an assignment straight from Shacklebolt. But why are Harry and Ron both against it and who is her new partner?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. I only own the Deathly Hallows poster that resides in my room as inspiration.**

**A/N: Made a quick word change at the end of this chapter. This is why I shouldn't publish things in the middle of the night. Oh well on to the fic :)**

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_"Go! Get away from here!" A man's voice yelled out. _

_"No! I am not leaving you here, like this. I can't, please don't ask me to." She gestured emphatically around them, then swiped away her traitorous tears. He then roughly grabbed her and hauled her towards him. He placed a brief kiss on her lips before pushing her away. _

_"Go now you stupid girl." She immediately started running away, compelled involuntarily. She tried to stop but found that she couldn't. Not even when she heard him scream._

She woke up breathing heavy. That dream left her shaken. It felt too real to her, and she didn't like that one bit. It felt like she knew him, but she didn't. At least she thought she didn't. She could still feel his lips on hers. She shook herself to try and rid herself of it. It was still early, pre-dawn but she decided to get ready for the day. She took her time showering and getting dressed and finally decided to just go into work early.

She worked in a branch off of the Auror department. She was the equivalent of a muggle detective. Although she rarely did field work, she was in charge of Intel and profiling. That equated to long hours at the office concentrating and planning. Most of the times she was perfectly content, research was her thing. There were some times though, where she just wanted to be back in the thick of things where the action was at. She had been at the office for approximately three hours when the rest of her co-workers showed up for the day.

"Good morning Hermione!" Harry yelled right next to her ear. She could only wince in response. "Merlin, how long have you been here?" He asked once he saw the piles of work on her desk.

"A while." She mumbled.

"Why?" He asked her pointedly.

"I couldn't sleep, figured I'd make a better use of my time here." She responded, noncommittally. "I've gotten way behind honestly and so it all worked out fairly well if you ask me."

"This is not a better way to spend your time." He stated gesturing to her cluttered desk.

"Honestly Harry, I am not a child. I can spend my time the way I see fit." She snapped. He stepped back with his hands up at her tone.

"I'm just concerned for you Hermione. I don't want anything else to happen to you." He said with a morose smile.

"I'm going to be fine Harry. Thank you for worrying and I'm sorry for snapping."

"It's alright. I've done that to you too many times. Well better go see what the Minister wants, the man is insane; sending his bloody owl at the crack of dawn."

She smiled as he left, then immersed herself back into her work. She had been serious when she said she was behind, which by many's standards was in fact several days ahead of schedule. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice anyone enter her office, not until someone slammed their fists down on her desk top.

"Hermione, the Minister is going to call you in to his office shortly. I need you to tell him no. He has finally lost it." Harry ranted to her.

"Harry I am certain that the Minister is in fine mental condition. And he probably has good reason for whatever his request may be." She said calmly, trying to placate Harry.

"I knew you would say that." He said narrowing his eyes. "Oi! Ron!" He then yelled out. Ron quietly came into her office, nervously avoiding eye contact with her.

"Ron?" She was confused at his actions. What on earth was going on?

"Sorry Hermione." He stammered before he quickly clambered over and grabbed her out of her chair. She didn't have a chance to say anything because the next second she was hauled over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and carried out of her office.

"Ronald Weasley! Set me down this instant! I refuse to be man-handled!" She screeched. She loved her friends honestly, but it was moments like these that made her question her choices in life. She hated it when they tried to control her like this. "Harry Potter, what is going on?" He chose to ignore her question; oh there would be hell to pay when they put her down.

Ron finally sat her down, in Harry's office of all places. She righted herself, crossed her arms, and gave them the death glare she had learned from a friend. Ron actually whimpered and Harry's left eye was twitching.

"One of you is going to spill or so help me I will hex both of your arses." She finally bit out.

"Listen Hermione," Harry started saying.

"Listen? I was listening before you carted me off! Explain yourself right this instant Harry James Potter."

"You can't agree with the Minister on this decision."

"And why not mister?" She was tapping her foot angrily now.

"Because I need you on a field mission." Minister Shacklebolt stated as he burst into Harry's office. "And honestly Harry, could you have chosen a more obvious location?" He mused, more as an afterthought. "Anyways Miss Granger, I would like to ask for you to go and work on a case. You are the most qualified. And I know that if we capture him, he will lead us to Dolohov."

"Who Minister?" She asked, though she was afraid she already knew the answer.

"Thorfinn Rowle."

"See Hermione, I told you he has lost it. There is no way now," He started, but she interrupted.

"I'm aware Harry! I don't need you reminding me every single moment! However I'm sure the Minister has accounted for that, otherwise he wouldn't have asked me." She stated pointedly.

"Exactly right my girl. Mr. Potter here just wouldn't hear me out. Now stop glaring at me Harry, I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't necessary. Hermione here is an expert on the both of them and the most qualified to do the task quickly and expertly."

"She could tell us what to do from here though." Harry whined out. She rolled her eyes at his tone.

"Harry if there is a trail, it won't hold. I want Dolohov too much to let it go cold because I'm trying to explain the nuances of Rowle so you can complete the mission." Hermione stated, as if explaining it to a child. Not a bad comparison given his current antics.

"Right again." Shacklebolt said with a Cheshire-like grin. "Now I am going to assign you a partner for the duration of this case. Normally I would assign Harry to you, however with this being a special case I have decided to call in one of my Hit wizards." Her eyes widened at this. The Hit wizards were an elite group, top of the hierarchy at the office. Though they were rarely there, their missions were highly confidential. Many of their identities were confidential as well. "Best of them all he is." He added as an afterthought. Harry and Ron both looked at each other quickly with wide eyes.

"Tell me it's not him." Ron asked quickly.

"Not who?" Hermione asked. What was she missing, who could it possibly be? Ron and Harry both gasped sharply and she looked at them inquisitively. Their gazes were locked on the doorway. "Could you two be any more dramatic?" She asked before turning to see who was there. "Oh, hullo. I suppose you are my new partner?" She asked, before she bit her lip. He gave her a curt nod. "Excellent."

"Hermione!" Ron yelled.

"What?" She hissed.

"Why are you okay with this? He may be the best, but he is a slimy Slytherin." Ron bit out in a rush.

"He is?" She asked with mock shock. "I never would have guessed. Some of us have gotten over out past house rivalries Ronald. Besides…" She couldn't help but trail off. She was grinning inwardly at Ron's face, he was nervously waiting for her to finish.

"Besides what?" Harry finally asked. The both of them were practically bouncing with anxiety. She flicked her eyes over to her partner with a mischievous glint in her eyes. He gave a small nod to go ahead with whatever she had planned.

"Doesn't matter. I can make my own decisions you two. Minister I accept your assignment."

"Great. The briefing is on your desk. Good day all." And with that statement, Shacklebolt swept out of the office.

"Hermione I think you are as nutters as he is." Ron mumbled. She just smiled at him and stood up to walk up to her new partner.

"Hello again Marcus." She said smiling up at him.

"Hello Mya." Marcus replied.

"Marcus?"

"Mya?" Harry and Ron said simultaneously. She then made to leave Harry's office. "Wait, what were you going to say a moment ago Hermione?" Harry asked, not wanting her to leave. Ron couldn't cart her off again, not if Flint was her partner. The man was huge.

Hermione turned her head and smiled at Harry. _Oh you just had to ask._ "I was going to say, 'Besides he's a great snog.'" She then turned and waltzed out of his office leaving Harry and Ron frozen in place. Flint just smirked at the both of them and followed her.

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**A/N: I know this is going to be a weird pairing, but I couldn't help it. I was reading "The Flint Grin" by LemonStar and kinda got infatuated with the idea. Check out that story and you'll see what I mean. There is much potential, and I'm excited to work with a character that doesn't have much background. Send me a review and let me know what you think, I love hearing from you :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: not my characters, sadly**

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She had met Marcus several months ago. She remembered that case with a particular grimace. She had only been profiling for a short while when an opportunity arose that she sadly couldn't pass up.

_Flashback_

_She had an appointment to make with a certain ferret at St. Mungos in a few short minutes. And of course there had to be a problem with the floos. She hated being late for anything, but it seemed that there was nothing to be done but wait. _

_"Of all days. Oh Malfoy is just going to love this." She muttered under her breath. _

_"When did you and Draco get together?" Adrian Pucey had been walking by when he must have heard her muttering. _

_"Never Pucey, I have an appointment with Lord Ferret and the floos are down." She sputtered crossly, before stamping her foot out of habit. He looked at her with amused eyes and she just glared at him, challenging him to say something. _

_"Well Mya, today is your lucky day." He stated while putting his arm dramatically across her shoulder. _

_"Pucey remove your arm this instant. And Mya?" She asked him, it wasn't the first time she heard that name and she was curious. _

_"I'm hurt Mya, here I am about to tell you wondrous news." He paused to sigh dramatically. "And all of the Slytherins call you Mya. Anyways I know a man who is on his way right now to St. Mungos. And all he wants in return is a small kiss from yon fair maiden." _

_"Forget it Pucey, I'm not kissing you. I do have standards." She finally had got away from his octopus-like arm, but in doing so backed into someone. Well to her it felt like a wall, a warm wall. "Sorry." She squeaked out before quickly moving away to face Pucey and 'the wall.' She could feel her face heating up under both of their gazes. _

_"I wasn't referring to me." Pucey said after he finished laughing at her. "I'm talking about my buddy Marcus here." _

_He then gestured to the person she had run into. He had certainly grown up quite a bit since he left school. He was no longer the lanky teenager with awkward troll-like features (as Harry had once remarked). He had grown taller it seemed and was solidly built. And there wasn't a thing about him that could be described as trollish now. _

_"Now I seem to recall you having an urgent appointment so give him a kiss and be on your merry way." Flint had remained impassive until Pucey's last statement, at that his eyes widened and he arched a brow at him. "No need to yell at me mate. Mya here needs a way to St. Mungos, you are going there and will take her once she indulges you in a small kiss." Flint just rolled his eyes and shook his head. He then extended a hand out, inviting her to take it. "Flint! Slytherins don't dole out freebies like this." _

_"Pucey I don't know how Luna deals with you." She bit out. She then grabbed Flint's extended hand and entwined it with her own. Then she quickly brought it to her face and gave it a quick kiss. "Can we go?" She asked, looking up at Flint. He nodded and quickly started dragging her away. _

_"You call that a kiss Mya?" Pucey called out as they left. _

_She ignored him and quickly followed Flint. The man towered over her and kept a fast pace. She was in such deep thought that she didn't notice stop and ran into him a second time. She looked up at him meekly, but he had an impassive look on his face. He then grabbed her arm and pulled her closer towards him._

_"Don't know why you didn't apparate." He muttered before they whirled away. _

_He left her once they landed and she stood there, slightly embarrassed for a moment. But she didn't reflect on it too long, She had a meeting to make. _

_And she remembered that meeting distastefully. She had got there and had to deal with a very uncooperative Malfoy. He didn't see any benefit to him helping her. The meeting was going nowhere when someone burst in. Surprisingly it was Flint. He whispered two words to Malfoy and then left. After that Malfoy was very cordial. _

_End of Flashback_

In fact they developed an easy friendship over the several months working together. That's how she now knew many of her former Slytherin classmates. Most were fairly cordial now that the pressures of a looming war were over. And while she wasn't good friends with Marcus, she was at least familiar with him and his quirks.

The man only strung together a few words at a time. But he wasn't stupid, his words _always_ meant something. She also learned that his eyes were very expressive. He didn't need to talk; one look and you knew what he was thinking.

She was now at her office and wasted no time in grabbing the file from her desk and quickly reading it.

"Well Marcus, looks like we have our work cut out for us. He's in Knockturn Alley, as we speak. Let's not waste time."

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**A/N: This is a bit of a filler chappie, with some needed back story. Not much, but my muse wasn't with me for this part. Wish me luck for the next chap. **

**Black Snake Eyes: Glad someone thinks I'm funny**

**lady innogen, sammy sosa the 13th, harmonyronmiondramione, Creative Central, flint1991: thanks for the reviews :D**

**lignala: hmm, wouldn't you like to know?! :D **


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